Pekin always a force

PACKWOOD - The Panthers cross-country teams have been a force for a long time. In fact, the boys won consecutive state titles in 1967 and ‘68 titles. In 2016, longtime head coach Davis Eidahl had the boys place second at state and the girls third after each took second in 2015. That is the kind of result, or better, that can be expected from the Panthers Saturday.

He directed the girls to four state team titles with championships in 2008, ‘10, ‘11 and ‘13.

In 2017, the boys were seventh and the girls 10th. In 2018, the boys were 12th and the girls seventh. After the boys placed 10th at state last year and the girls were ninth, the preseason rankings for 2020 had the Panther girls at No. 4 and the boys at No. 9. The first regular season rankings saw the boys at No. 8 and the girls at 3. The next week was No. 2 for the girls and No. 5 for the boys. The girls have been at No. 2 ever since while the boys team has fluctuated around Nos. 5 and 6.

At the district meet, the girls went fourth (Lauren Dersheid), fifth (Lauren Steigleder), seventh (Audrey Fariss), eighth (Lily Fariss), 14th (Mia Clark) and 15th (Sarah Eubanks) with Sabrina Reneker at No. 23.

Summer workouts made the difference.

Freshmen Steigleder and Audrey Fariss placed second and third in the State Junior High Washburn Classic last season as eighth-graders.

'This year could be one of our better teams in the last few years,” Eidahl said of the combined squads.

Brady Millikin will make his fourth trip to stat and has been all-state twice, sixth last year and 13th as a sophomore.

Millikin said he under performed at districts, but will use that to fuel him at state. 'I have goals that I have set that I want to get and I did not perform as well as I wanted, but my team is going to state so it's all good.”